Pressure roller mechanism for cinematographic films and other webs



J 1954 A. P. LOFQUIST, JR 2,579,800

PRESSURE ROLLER MECHANISM FOR CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND OTHER WEBS FiledMay 16, 1952 j 761/911 50/ 4 [libel-z B Lia/ 1:11:52? Jr. j V W W Git749 Patented June 1, 1954 ATENT OFFICE PRESSURE ROLLER MECHANISM FORCINE- MATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND OTHER WEBS Maine Application May 16, 1952,Serial No. 288,353

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for applying an even pressuretransversely of a moving web, and particularly to a roller device forpressing on motion picture film.

In various stages of processing web material such as film it isnecessary precisionally to squeeze the moving web between a roller and asuitable backing. For example, in printing motion picture prints byimbibition, a gelatin relief matrix carrying a dye is brought intointimate contact with a dye absorptive blank film by feeding the filmsbetween a pressure roller and a backing roller which provide acompletely uniform rolling pressure across the picture area of the film.Uniform pressure is required to produce a satisfactory print.

Previously it has been necessary to mount the rollers with theirrespective axes exactly parallel to achieve the desired uniformity ofpressure. Where one of the rollers is supported by a pivoted shaft, thecumulative tolerances in alignment of the pivot for the shaft and of therollers become so close as to be impractical, since the slightestmisalignment will destroy the precise parallelism necessary for uniformpressure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a support for one ofthe pressure rollers which allows angular adjustment of the roller sothat it applies uniform pressure throughout the width of the pictureframe, and yet prevents the roller from shifting transversely of thefilm.

Another objest is to provide a roller support which is readilyadjustable to transmit various pressures to the film but which does notrequire close tolerances in manufacture or assembly and hence iseconomical and simple in manufacture.

In one aspect the invention comprises a support for a pressure rollerhaving at one end arms for supporting the roller and at its other end abearing mounted on a shaft providing a pivoted mounting for the support,the shaft having a pair of narrow longitudinal surfaces spaced apartslightly less than the bore of the bearing, the diameter of the shaftbetween said surfaces being substantially less than the diameter of thebore so that the roller can tip transversely of the film on which itpresses while it is restrained from swinging edgewise of the film.Preferably the pressure roller presses the film against a backing suchas an endless belt or a companion roller, the support for the pressureroller permitting it to adjust into parallelism with the backing.

In a further aspect a forked member or yoke mounted to move normally tothe plane of the Web is disposed to transmit equal pressures to oppositeends of the roller, and yielding pressure means are provided to applypressure centrally of the forked member whereby the equal pressures areapplied at each end of the roller While the roller is permitted to tipto a position in which it applies a uniform pressure transversely of theweb.

In a still further aspect the pivot shaft for the aforesaid bearing hasa second pair of opposite surfaces disposed at angles to the first pairof narrow longitudinal surfaces, the second pair being spaced apart adistance less than the bore of the hearing which limits the angle towhich the bearing may tip so that the first pair of surfaces do notwedge in the bore.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of cinematographic apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is designed to feed a gelatin reliefmatrix film strip M soaked with a dye and a blank gelatin coated film Binto register on the pin belt P having teeth T engaging the sprocketholes of the film, and then roll the two films into intimate contact.The matrix and blank films are seated on the pin belt P in a roll tank2| after passing over rollers 22, and rollers 23 and 24, respectively.The backing roller 24 and a seating roller 25 bring the blank and matrixfilm into close but not intimate contact on the pin belt. A seating belt28 passing around a backing roller 26 and a guide roller 30 graduallybrings the films into closer contact, further seating the films on thepin belt P. The seating rollers 25 and 21 are supported on pivoted arms29 permitting the rollers to move vertically relative to the horizontalpath of the films. Various pneumatic pressures are transmitted to thepressure rollers through yokes 3! from pneumatic cylinders 32. Beyondthe roll tank is a backing roller 36 and another seating belt 33 loopedover a pressure roller 34 and a guide roller 35, and finally a pressureroller I and backing roller it for bringing the films into intimatecontact. The pressure roller as is supported on a pivoted arm 29 andreceives pressure from an air cylinder 32 through a yoke 3|. Similarlypressure roll I, mounted on pivoted arms 2, receives pressuretransmitted through yoke from a like cylinder I0. Each of the cylindersI0 and 32 has a meter 4i associated therewith for the purpose ofobserving the pressures transmitted to each pressure roller.

Pneumatic pressure for the air cylinders 32 controlling the first threepressure rollers 25, 2'! and 34 is transmitted from a source (not shown)through pipe 37, through an electrically controlled valve 38 forreducing the pressure transmitted, through pipes 42, 43 and 44 andthence through adjustable valves 48 for limiting the amount of pressurein each pneumatic cylinder 32, and thence to the cylinders. Aspreviously explained, the three rollers 25, 21 and 34 do not press onthe film with as great a force as the roller I, and hence are operatedat a lower pressure. From the electrically operated valve 38 pressure istransmitted to the cylinder I0 through the adjustable valve 39. Thevalves 39 and 48 are regulated according to the pressure required on thefilm as determined by the requirements of the relief rec ord on thematrix and other conditions of the matrix and blank. The valve 38 isoperated by a photoelectric system for detecting metal splices whichincrease the thickness of the strip. Before entering the roll tank 2|the films pass between a light source 45 and a pick-up 41. Passage ofthe splice causes the pick-up 41 to actuate a time delay relay 48. Aftera predetermined interval the time delay relay will energize the electricvalve 38, releasing pressure on the air cylinders I0 and 32 before thesplice reaches the rollers 25, 21, 34 and I and restoring pressure afterthe splice has passed the rollers. With the pressure released thepressure rollers will ride over the splice without damage to the films.

While the rollers 25, 21 and 34 as previously explained press on thefilm strips only with such force as is necessary to seat the films inregistry on the pin belt P, the roller I presses with greater force andhence must be mounted with much greater precision relative to thebacking roller I4. As shown in Fig. 3 the roller I is carried on asupport comprising the arms 2 fixed to a bearing portion 3 which ismounted on a novel type of shaft 4. The shaft 4 has at one end amounting pin I I which may be press fitted or otherwise securelyattached to a back plate I. A conventional bushing 8 having a bore 9fits in the hearing portion 3 around the shaft 4. As shown in Fig. 3,the arms 2 engage the shaft I3 of the roller I. These arms are formedintegrally with the bearing portion 3 and are fixed relatively to eachother. also engages the shaft I3. At the top of the yoke is a socket 50which with the rounded end 5| of the shaft 6 actuated by air cylinderIE? forms a universal ball and socket joint. The shaft 3, the yoke 5 andthe roller I are aligned with the center line of the film strips, andthe ball and socket joint is disposed centrally of the yoke, so thatequal pressures are applied at each end of the shaft I3.

As shown in Fig. 5, the novel shaft 4 has a pair of surfaces Ad onopposite sides of the shaft which engage the bore 9 of the bushing 8. Atright angles to the surfaces 4a is a second pair of surfaces 4b whichare spaced apart appreciably less than the diameter of the bore 9 as isthe remaining surface of the shaft 4. On the other hand, the pair ofsurfaces 4a are spaced apart only slightly less than the diameter of thebore 9. Thus the surfaces 411 engage or very nearly engage a narrowlongitudinal area. of the bore, while nor- A yoke 5 vertically above theroller I mally the surfaces 41) do not engage the bore, as shown inFigs. 2 and 5. Because the surfaces 4a substantially fit the bore 9 thebearing 3 is restrained from rotating in a plane which passes throughthe two surfaces 4a, for the reason that there is substantially noclearance between the surfaces 4a and the bore 9. On the other hand,between the remaining surface of the shaft 4, particularly the surfaces41), there is ample clearance to allow the bearing 3 to rotate in aplane normal to the plane through the surfaces 4a. The slight clearanceat surfaces 4a permits appreciable tilting normal to the plane throughthese surfaces, while restricting rotation in the plane through surfaces4a for the reason that two line contacts are normally maintained betweenthe edges of the respective surfaces 4a and the bore 9 by the weight ofthe arms 2 and bearing 3. The two line contacts, prevent rotation intheir own plane. However these line contacts will be in a plane offsetfrom a diametric plane through the bearing axis so that the surfaces 4aare clear, owing to the curvature of the bore, to swing through thediametric plane in a plane normal thereto. The angle through which thebearing tips in the normal plane may be limited by the spacing betweenthe surfaces 4b and the bore 9. Thus the bearing and the axle of theroller I are free to tip in the plane shown in Fig. 2 so that the rollermay tilt to a position parallel to the roller I4 and produce the desireduniform rolling pressure on the blank and matrix film strips, as shownin Fig. 4. On the other hand the bearing and roller are prevented by thesurfaces 4a from swinging in the plane of the surfaces 4a and hence thepressure roller I may not shift sidewise from the position shown in Fig.4 to cause a misalignment of the rollers I and I4.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pressure assembly for a moving web comprising a roller for pressingon the web, a support for the roller having at one end arms forpositioning the roller and at the other end a cylindrical bearingparallel to the axis of the roller, and a shaft extending into saidbearing, said shaft having on diametrically opposite sides thereof apair of narrow, longitudinal surfaces for beating on narrow areas of thebore of said bearing and I spaced apart slightly less than the diameterof the bore, one of said surfaces facing in the direction of web travelat said roller, the diameter of the shaft intermediate said surfacesbeing not greater than the diameter of said shaft through saidlongitudinal surfaces, whereby the roller may tip transversely of thepath of the web while being restrained from swinging edgewise of theweb.

2. Cinematographic apparatus comprising a film backing, a roller forpressing film against the backing, a support for the roller having atone end arms for positioning the roller and at the other end acylindrical bearing parallel to the axis of the roller, and a shaftextending into said bearing, said shaft having on diametrically oppositesides thereof a pair of narrow, longitudinal surfaces for hearing onnarrow areas of the bore of said bearing and spaced apart slightly lessthan the:

diameter of the bore, one of said surfaces facing in the direction offilm travel at said roller, the

diameter of the shaft intermediate said surfacesbeing not greater thanthe diameter of said shaft through said longitudinal surfaces, wherebythe roller may tip transversely of the path of the film to parallel saidbacking, while being restrained from swinging edgewise of the film.

3. Cinematographio apparatus comprising a film backing, a roller forpressing film against the backing, a support for the roller having atone end arms for positioning the roller and at the other end acylindrical bearing parallel to the axis of the roller, a shaftextending into said bearing, said shaft having on diametrically oppositesides thereof a pair of narrow longitudinal surfaces for bearing onnarrow areas of the bore of said hearing and spaced apart slightly lessthan the diameter of the bore, one of said surfaces facing in thedirection of film travel at said roller, the diameter of the shaftintermediate said surfaces being not greater than the diameter of saidshaft through said longitudinal surfaces, a forked member movablenormally to the film path at said roller for transmitting equal pressureto opposite ends of the roller, and yielding pressure means actingcentrally of said member, whereby the roller may tip transversely of thepath of the film to parallel said backing and apply even pressure on thefilm throughout its width while being restrained from swinging edgewiseof the film.

4. A pressure assembly for a moving web comprising a roller for pressingon the web, a support for the roller having at one end arms forpositionin the roller and at the other end a cylindrical bearingparallel to the axis of the roller, and a shaft extending into saidbearing, said shaft having on diametrically opposite sides thereof apair of narrow, longitudinal surfaces for bearing on narrow areas of thebore of said bearing and spaced apart slightly less than the diameter ofthe here, one of said surfaces facing in the direction of web travel atsaid roller, the diameter of the shaft intermediate said surfaces beingsubstantially less than the diameter of said shaft through saidlongitudinal surfaces, whereby the shaft and roller may tip transverselyof the path of the web while being restrained from swinging edgewise ofthe web, said shaft having a second pair of diametrically oppositesurfaces disposed at an angle to the first said pair and spaced apart tolimit the angle said bearing may tip, thereby preventing said first pairof surfaces from wedging in said bore.

5. cinematographic apparatus comprising a film backing, a roller forpressing film against the backing, a support for the roller having atone end arms for positioning the roller and at the other end acylindrical bearing parallel to the aXis of the roller, a shaftextending into said bearing, said shaft having on diametrically oppositesides thereof a pair of narrow longitudinal surfaces for bearing onnarrow areas of the bore of said bearing and spaced apart slightly lessthan the diameter of the bore, one of said surfaces facing in thedirection of film travel at said roller, the diameter of the shaftintermediate said surfaces being substantially less than the diameter ofsaid shaft through said longitudinal surfaces, a forked member movablenormally to the film path at said roller for transmitting equal pressureto opposite ends of the roller, and yielding pressure means actingcentrally of said member, whereby the roller may tip transversely of thepath of the film to parallel said backing and apply even pressure on thefilm throughout its width while bei g restrained from swinging edgewiseof the film, said shaft having a second pair of diametrically oppositesurfaces disposed at an angle to the first said pair and spaced apart tolimit the angle said hearing may tip, thereby preventing said first pairof surfaces from wedging in said bore.

References Cited in the file of thi patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,707,695 Troland u Apr. 2, 1929 1,707,699 Whitney Apr. 2,1929

